DOD/BRAC 133 at Mark Center

A Headquarters that Meets DoD's Anti-Terrorism Security Standards

From the outset, Clark provided outstanding project leadership, building collaborative relationships with everyone involved. From coordinating the site logistics for this large‐scale project to providing unparalleled technical expertise, craftsmanship and construction ingenuity, Clark set the standard for quality and ensured that the integrity of the project was never compromised.

The DoD/BRAC 133 at Mark Center consolidates 64,000 employees from more than 24 DoD agencies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Washington Headquarters Services onto one 16-acre campus. Facing a hard deadline from the government, Clark, subsidiary Shirley Contracting, and developer Duke Realty developed an aggressive schedule, overcame delays, and completed the complex five weeks ahead of schedule.

The DoD/BRAC 133 office complex consists of a 15-story and 17-story office tower, two parking garages, a remote inspection facility, visitor control center, and a public transportation center. To meet the required Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) protection levels, the office towers are comprised of approximately 11,000 tons of structural steel, 1,500 precast panels, and 2,100 windows. The towers' interior design includes a modular tenant planning system, which allows maximum flexibility and scalability in order to cater to more than 24 tenant agencies. This was the tallest project ever delivered for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The DoD/BRAC 133 office complex provides more efficient and cost-effective administrative and operational support to the DoD's field activities, the White House, and Congress. Located four miles from the Pentagon, the campus was built at Duke Realty's private Mark Center development, but is technically part of the nearby Fort Belvoir.

All projects recommended by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, had a mandatory completion deadline of September 15, 2011. This made the schedule one of the client's top priorities. Clark, working on five additional BRAC projects, understood the importance of meeting this deadline and delivered the project five weeks early.

DoD/BRAC 133 was delayed by more than a year due to site selection issues and was one of the final, large-scale BRAC projects to begin construction. Despite the setback, the project was still expected to be finished by the BRAC deadline.

Working collaboratively in advance of the project award prepared the team to hit the ground running. They developed a schedule that allowed work on-site to begin just one month after being awarded the project and created a plan to deliver the design through multiple packages. The design of the project continued concurrent with construction, and the overall design was finished in early 2010, simultaneous with the completion of the office towers’ exterior envelope.

Safety

With over 3.5 million manhours worked, the project experienced just 11 lost time incidents. The safety program at DoD/BRAC 133 was project specific and based on developing a culture that emphasized the well-being of the worker rather than policy compliance.

BIM

The virtual model was an important deliverable for the government. They required that the model be highly detailed, include significant metadata on many of the model components, incorporate 3-D civil design in addition to the structures, and be compatible with the building operator’s software platforms for maintenance. The BIM model ultimately incorporated work product from over a dozen different designers, consultants, and design-build subcontractors.

Sustainability

The project earned LEED Gold certification. The design-build process allowed the project to earn a high certification level at minimum cost; DoD/BRAC 133 was originally targeting Silver certification but achieved Gold without increasing the overall budget.

The office towers use 30 percent less energy and 45 percent less water than baseline projections due to green design features and equipment. The visitor center and remote inspection facility feature green roofs while green screens with native plants surround the north garage.

Shirley Contracting Company

Shirley served as the general contractor for all sitework, on-site infrastructure road improvements, and improvements to local roads accessing the new facility.

Awards:

AGC of DC Washington - Merit Award, Design-Build

DBIA Mid-Atlantic Region - Regional Award, Office

ENR Southeast - Best Government/Public Building Project, Award of Merit